Kyle Glogoski, First Kiwi MLB Player?

After an impressive 2019 at the A level for the Philadelphia Phillies, starting pitcher prospect Kyle Glogoski returned to his hometown of Auckland, New Zealand to play for the Auckland Tuatara in the Australian Baseball League (ABL) during the offseason. He racked up an impressive 90 strikeouts in 80.1 IP (10.1 K9) in the Phillies system and will be starting the 2020 MiLB season at the AA level. This means he has a chance to become the first Kiwi baseball player to represent New Zealand in MLB.

His performance in the ABL has been less than stellar, however. Glogoski’s record is 0-2 record with a 5.09 ERA in 17.2 IP. While he still has a high strikeout rate of 9.7 K9, it is paired with a WHIP of 1.358. He will not be making any future appearances for the Tuatara this season after reaching the innings limit set by the Phillies for his participation in the ABL.

As of the beginning of the 2019 season, 251 players from 20 countries other than the United States held spots on the Opening Day rosters of the 30 MLB clubs. As he continues to develop, the 20 year-old Glogoski will hope to add New Zealand to this list of nations represented in Major League Baseball within the next few years.